Managing Multiple Tasks, Priorities and Deadlines PDF

Managing Multiple Tasks,
Priorities and Deadlines

By: Alex (Ameer) Ayoub
Partner
Meirc Training & Consulting

P.O. Box 5883, Dubai, UAE
Tel: + 971 (04) 556 7171, Fax + 971 (04) 556 7299
Email: aayoub@meirc.com, website: www.meirc.com
Meirc Training & Consulting
About the Company
M00: Introduction 2
About Us
• Established by Meirc as a
new division in 2014
• Provides specialized
(industry-specific or
function-oriented) training
• Programs developed with
and facilitated by:
– Leading subject matter
experts
– Practitioners
– Technical trainers
M00: Introduction 3
What Do We Stand For?
Our Vision
Our Your Most Trusted Partner
Values Client-Centricity in Developing Excellence for
Generations to Come
Reliability
Innovation
Your Development, Our Passion
Excellence
Mastery
Our Mission
• To earn the trust and confidence of our clients by providing the most reliable training and
consulting products and services in the region.
• To continuously innovate to ensure we are aligned with our clients and we will strive for
excellence in everything we do.
• To walk the talk when it comes to our employees and prove why Meirc is the leading
employer in our industry.
M00: Introduction 4
Portfolio of Courses
M00: Introduction 5
70’s: Beirut Lebanon & Paris France
80’s and 90’s: USA – Texas and California
2000-2007: Back to Lebanon
2007-Present: Dubai UAE, Meirc Training & Consulting
Currently: Partner with Meirc Training & Consulting

Professional Co-Active Coach (CTI)
Alex-Ameer F. Ayoub: A Brief Bio!
About the
Facilitator
M00: Introduction 6
Alex-Ameer Ayoub: Detailed Bio
Education
Mr. Alex-Ameer Ayoub is a partner with Meirc Training & Consulting. He holds a master of science degree in
management and information systems from the University of North Texas in USA, and a bachelor of science in business
computer and information systems from the Lebanese American University. Alex-Ameer also holds credentials in
vocational and adult education from the State of California, USA, and is certified in occupational and psychological
testing from the British Psychological Society. He is also a certified training practitioner (CTP™) from the Institute of
Performance and Learning, Canada and a Professional Co-Active Coach from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI USA).
Experience
Alex-Ameer has over 25 years of work experience in the USA, Lebanon, and the UAE. Before joining Meirc in 2007, Alex-
Ameer held for five years a full-time faculty position with the school of business at the American University of Beirut.
During his employment with AUB, he taught courses in general management principles, strategic management as a
capstone course for senior level business students, and organizational behavior. During his time at AUB, Alex-Ameer was
also involved in several consulting projects one of which was in association with the British Council with aims to study
the creative industries in the Lebanese market and to assess the impact of those industries on Lebanon’s economic
model. While at AUB, he was hired frequently to facilitate workshops in leadership, management and organizational
behavior to companies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE. Alex-Ameer also worked with the Lebanese firm Investcom
Telecom on a 2-year project in Yemen during which he assumed the position of MIS manager. Prior to his contract with
Investcom Telecom, he held for more than ten years, the positions of data processing manager with Helene Curtis
Corporation, data quality control manager with Commuter Transportation Services, and systems engineer with EDS
Corporation, all in the USA.
Expertise
With Meirc, Alex-Ameer conducts training in the fields of leadership and management, administration and organizational
behaviour, interpersonal skills, and communication. He also specializes in negotiation and business coaching skills. Alex-
Ameer also provides consulting in the areas of psychometric testing, employee assessment, and personality profiling.
M00: Introduction 7
Program Outlines and Objectives
M00: Introduction 8
Objectives: By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Explain the link

Identify task objectives,
between strategic
constraints and
planning and task
stakeholders
accomplishment
Set task priorities and Conduct and perform

deadlines effective delegation
M00: Introduction 9
Program Outline:
Introduction to the ‘task’ concept Task management and

in a business environment importance of planning
• Role of self-management in • Managerial functions and tasks
managing tasks • Task management skills
• Overview of task management • Dealing with task constraints
• The task PTTR lifecycle • Goals, objectives and tasks
• Task management principles • From SMART objectives to SMART
• Task management and the business tasks
environment • Scopes of work and task
• Organizational perspective on work assignments
accomplishment • Identifying and managing task
• Building value mindset in every task stakeholders
• Impact of company strategy on task • Task related risks
management
• Role of organizational structures in
getting tasks done
M00: Introduction 10
Program Outline:
Setting Task Priorities &

Delegation
Deadlines
• How we deal with tasks - an • Definition of delegation and why
assessment to delegate
• Task management and work • Root causes of poor delegation
• Planning, scheduling and meeting • Learning the steps to effective
deadlines delegation
• Task management and the • Empowering and motivating
development of priorities employees through delegation
• Managing meetings, e-mails, and • The dos and don’ts of delegation
interruptions
• ‘To do’ lists and managing
priorities
• Time wasters, procrastination and
immediate demands
• Tasks and automation
• Task management and stress
M00: Introduction 11
Blended Learning
Blended Learning
WHAT WHY WHEN WHERE WHO HOW

Classroom course Engage learners Attend scheduled In the classroom All participants Easy as ABC!!!
followed by web- by appealing to classroom courses and on the go!!! attending a Meirc Complete
based experience. different learning & engage in Continue your training course. classroom course.
preferences. eLearning learning journey Receive eLearning
Extend learning experience at from your PC, access code. Log
beyond the your own time. phone or tablet. into your account.
classroom.
Free online blended learning

To activate your eLearning account, email us at meirc@meirc.com for
your complimentary subscription.
M00: Introduction 1
60 Facts and Milestones
Meirc Training & Consulting was founded in 1958.
This year, we will be celebrating our 60th birthday. Here are 60 facts
and milestones about Meirc’s rich and long interesting history.
M00: Introduction ‐ Addendum 1
1. In April 1958, Mr. Simon Siksek founded Meirc.
2. Its 1st offices were in Beirut, Lebanon.
3. Before founding Meirc, Mr. Siksek studied economics and law at Cambridge University,
England and worked at Aramco in Dhahran (KSA).
4. When it was founded, the company’s name stood for Middle East Industrial Relations
Counselors (M.E.I.R.C.).
5. In 1958, MEIRC’s total headcount was 2.
6. The 4 companies which were first to commission MEIRC with a comprehensive Industrial
Relations (IR) project and later became MEIRC’s Advisory Committee were: Kuwait Oil
Company (KOC), Saudi Aramco, Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) and Qatar
Petroleum Company (QPC).
7. In 1960, MEIRC pioneered the organization and implementation of Human Resources
conferences in the region.
8. In 1962, Mr. Ted Abdo (MEIRC’s former Chairman) had his first assignment in the Gulf
area heading a team of 15 interviewers tasked with conducting a Household
Expenditure Survey in Kuwait.
9. In 1967, MEIRC built its own office building in Beirut, Lebanon.
10. In 1968, MEIRC conducted its 1st public (open) course at Al Bustan Hotel in Broummana,
Lebanon; the course had 62 participants from different GCC states; it was titled
“Successful Supervision” and its duration was 10 days.
11. In 1970, MEIRC began using its training through gaming methodology.
12. In 1975, with encouragement and assistance from MEIRC’s founder (Mr. Siksek), Dr.
Farid Muna attended the London Business School (University of London) and obtained
his PhD; his thesis was published in a book he wrote titled The Arab Executive.
13. In 1976, MEIRC relocated its headquarters from Beirut to Athens, Greece due to the
Lebanese civil war.
14. In 1978, MEIRC conducted annual seminars in Japan for Japanese managers working
with, or in, the Arab World. The seminars were coordinated with the Japan Cooperation
Center for the Middle East (JCCME).
15. In 1986, JCCME started sending Japanese managers to the Middle East to attend
MEIRC’s seminar, which was titled Management in the Arab World.
16. In 1989, MEIRC opened a branch in Dubai, UAE; its offices were in the Arenco building in
Karama.
17. In 1989, MEIRC’s founder Mr. Simon Siksek sadly passed away.
18. In 1989, Mr. Ted Abdo became the company’s chairman and Dr. Farid Muna its Managing
Director.
19. In 1989, Dr. Farid Muna published another book on management titled The Making of
Gulf Managers.
20. In January 1990, Dr. Farid Muna was the main speaker at the “Gulf Education and
Training Exhibition” held in Dubai.
21. In 1991, MEIRC moved its headquarters from Athens to Dubai.
22. In 1991, Dr. Farid Muna became Managing Director of MEIRC.
23. In 1991, MEIRC completed a management buyout, changed its name to Meirc Training &
Development and moved to a new building in Karama called Al Khaleej.
24. In 1992, Meirc started publishing a quarterly training newsletter.
25. In 1994, Meirc introduced the profit sharing scheme aimed at motivating and retaining
its loyal senior consultants and managers.
26. In 1994, Meirc launched an educational scholarship program in memory of its founder
and targeted at children of Meirc employees.
27. In 1995, Meirc facilitated a training course on management and leadership in a wild life
safari in Tanzania.
28. In 1996, Meirc held its first “Women in Management” forum in Dubai.
29. In 1997, Meirc became the 1st training company in the Middle East to be ISO certified.
30. In 1997, Meirc changed its name to the current “Meirc Training & Consulting”.
31. In 1997, Meirc re‐opened its offices in Beirut, Lebanon.
32. In 1997, Meirc became the 1st training company in the region to launch its own website.
33. In 1998, Dr. Farid Muna became the company’s Chairman and Dr. Ramsey Hakim its
Managing Director.
34. In 1998, a major Libyan client requested several managerial courses to be conducted in
Libya. Because of the boycott at that time, Meirc consultants flew to Malta and then
went to Libya by ship to run the courses. The journey from Dubai to Libya took 3 days!
35. In 2003, Dr. Farid Muna (Meirc Chairman) wrote and published another book on
management titled Seven Metaphors on Management.
36. In 2004, the training newsletter published by Meirc became electronic.
37. In 2004, Meirc opened its offices in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
38. In 2007, Meirc opened its offices in Jeddah, KSA.
39. In 2009, Dr. Ramsey Hakim became Meirc’s Chairman.
40. In 2009, Meirc introduced the Meirc Professional Certificate (MPC) courses.
41. In 2010, Meirc introduced training courses to help professionals prepare for
international certification exams.
42. In 2010, Meirc recruited its first agent for marketing its services in Africa.
43. In 2010, Dr. Farid Muna (Meirc Board Member) and Dr. Ziad Zennie (Partner) published
their book titled Developing Multicultural Leaders.
44. In 2011, Mr. Samer Taher became Meirc’s Managing Director.
45. In 2013, Meirc offered its 1st webinar.
46. In 2014, Meirc established PLUS Specialty Training, a new division specializing in
technical and industry‐specific courses.
47. In 2015, Meirc moved to its newly purchased 20,000 sq. ft. premises in Business Bay,
Dubai.
48. In 2016, the number of Meirc’s clients exceeded 4,000 companies.
49. In 2017, the number of professionals trained by Meirc reached 400,000 participants.
50. In 2017, two Meirc consultants earned doctorate level degrees due in part to Meirc’s
ongoing investment in developing its employees.
51. In 2017, Meirc pioneered its Course Selector, an innovative solution to help clients
select efficiently their training courses.
52. In 2017, Meirc introduced blended learning to support course participants who wish to
extend their professional education after completing the training course.
53. In 2017, Dr. Ziad Zennie sadly passed away after having served Meirc for 25 years.
54. In 2018, Mr. Chaouki Eid became Meirc’s Managing Director and Mr. Samer Taher joined
the company’s Board.
55. In 2018, Meirc planned 500+ public training sessions in 14 different cities spanning the
GCC, Europe, Africa and Asia.
56. In 2018, Meirc’s courses covered 26 different categories which included more than 300
different topics.
57. In 2018, Meirc celebrated its 60th anniversary and adopted a new slogan “Passionately
Developing Careers for 60 years”.
58. Today, the name Meirc stands for the company’s 5 values which are: Mastery,
Excellence, Innovation, Reliability and Client‐centricity.
59. Meirc’s average employee tenure is 10.23 years.
60. Meirc today is truly a multi‐national company with a team representing 17 different
nationalities whom we call the “Meirc Family”.
This page is left blank intentionally, and can be used to take notes
Module I
Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment
M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 1

Self and Task Management

A Contextual View of Task Management
What is self-management when we talk

about managing tasks?

Self-management is the “process" of influencing

oneself to establish the self-direction and self-
motivation needed to perform.

In the following slides

we cover a few ideas
that are central to the
Self-Management
philosophy.

1
People are generally happier when they
have control over their own life (and work)

2
Decision-making authority is
best when it is closest to where
actual work is being done.

3
When you give good
people more
responsibility, they
tend to flourish.

4
Traditional organizational
hierarchies are not
scalable—in fact, they
are a recipe for a slow
painful death.

Self-Management is a fundamental
mind-shift in the way we view
human organizations, management
and organizational strategy.

What is the role of

personal values in self-
management?

Values are internal

beliefs which, although
cannot be seen, have a
great impact on our
external behavior
A personal value is
something you believe to
be most important to
you. It is a reflection of
your interests, wants,
needs or wishes

Not all values have the

same rank or weight.
Within a person, some
values are more
important than others
An understanding of our
personal values will help
us identify what drives
and motivates us and
what does not


What is a task?

A task is the smallest

identifiable and essential
piece of a job that serves as
a unit of work, and as a
means of differentiating
between the various
components of a project. Source:
http://www.businessdictionary.com
/definition/task.html

What is task management?

Task management is the

process of managing a task
through its life cycle. It
involves planning, testing,
tracking and reporting.

Task Management Principles
Documenting
Monitoring
Controlling
Teamwork
proactive
attention
Planning
Paying
Being

Planning
•A sensible plan gets things
done.

Controlling
•You cannot control what
you cannot quantify.

Being Proactive
•Being proactive is vital.

Monitoring
•Monitor your people to
ensure success.

Teamwork
•Promote teamwork and give
accountability to those
involved- it makes things
easier.

Overview and context of task management
Paying Attention
•You could learn a lot from it.
You should be keen on what is
going on around you.

Documenting
•Plans, designs, procedures,
processes, and solutions
should be clearly documented,
along with decisions and
agreements made.

Why embrace task management principles?

• They serve as a guide to task managers in knowing
which direction to take to maintain practicality and
effectiveness.
• They help understand how to manage the task given,
along with dealing with the people who will help us
accomplish it.
• These principles reduce incidence of failure because
they have been tried and tested.

Task Management and the Business Environment

Are the number of

hours spent at
work an indication
of one’s effort,
interest, and
accomplishment?

The greatest ideas and the

execution of these ideas
happen in spurts.

Yet, managers
instinctively measure
employees with an eye on
the clock.

What working conditions are

ideal for maximum productivity?

Emphasizing Leveraging
Trust
Results Creativity

An Organizational Perspective on Work Accomplishment

How does your organization

accomplishes its work and
creates value?

An Organizational View of Work and Value Creation
To help answer this

question let us
review Michael
Porter’s Concept of
Value Chain and Michael Eugene Porter is an
American academic known for
his theories on economics,
Value Creation. business strategy, and social

causes. Wikipedia

A value chain is a set of

activities organizations
perform to create value
for their customers.

The way in which

value chain activities
are performed
determines costs
and affects profits.

The more value

an organization
creates, the
more profitable
it is likely to be.

Porter’s Value Chain Model

Using Porter’s Value Chain

To identify and understand your company's
value chain, we follow the following steps:
Step 1: Step 2: Step 4:
Identify sub- Identify sub- Step 3: Look for
activities for each activities for each Identify links opportunities to
primary activity support activity increase value

Impact of Strategic Management on Task Management

Management plays an
extremely vital and
strategic role when it
comes to setting the
scene on the tasks
that the organization
needs to focus on.

This becomes obvious when we

realize that strategic management
consists mainly of four (4)
interrelated stages.

Strategy Management Process
Assess Design Build Manage

Strategic Issues: Identify Vision: Create an image of Use SWOT: Process the SWOT Rollout: Communicate strategy
strategic issues to address what success looks like in 5 to set priorities. to whole organization
years.
Industry & Market Data: Mission: Determine your Strategic Objectives: Set short- Set Calendar: Establish
Identify market opportunities organization’s core purpose. to-mid-term SMART objectives. schedule for progress reviews
and threats (1+ yr.)
Customer Insights: Assess Values: Identify your core KPIs: Select key performance Leverage Tools: Train team
current satisfaction and future beliefs. indicators to track progress. members to use relevant tools
demand.
Employee Input: Determine Competitive Advantages: Department Initiatives: Adapt Quarterly: Hold progress
strengths and weaknesses. Solidify your unique position Cascade strategic objectives to reviews and modify
departments. (12 months)
SWOT: Synthesize the data into Org. Wide Themes: Establish Team Member Objectives: Update Annually: Review end
summary SWOT items. the approach for how you will Cascade dept. objectives to of year, plan next year.
succeed individuals.
Strategic Goals: Develop a 3 to Budget: Align a one-year
5 year balanced framework of budget with the plan.
4-6 strategic goals.
Forecast: Develop a 3-year
financial projection.

Manage Empower
Resources Staff
Guide Promote
Decisions Accountability
Provide Strategic Manage

Purpose Management Performance

How the Type of the Organization influences Task Management

Task Management and Organization Types
Organizational types and

structures play in important role
in task management.

They can either inhibit or

promote performance,
depending how effectively the
workplace relationships and
workflow influence productivity.

There are five popular business organizational structures or

types that popular in the market. In the following they are
briefly discussed along with the some of the advantages each
bring about. These organizational models are:
• Matrix organizational structure

• Functional organizational structure
• Product organizational structure
• Customer organizational structure
• Geographic organizational structure
Source: Pingboard.com

Source: Pingboard.com

This page is left blank intentionally, and can be used to take notes
Module II
Task Management and Importance of Planning
M02: Task Management and Importance of Planning 1

Let’s Discuss
What is the role of a manager or a

supervisor?
What are some characteristics of an

effective manager or a supervisor?
What are the main competencies of an

effective manager or a supervisor?

Management and Supervisory Functions
There are four generic functions under which majority of

managerial and supervisory tasks are listed:
Planning Organizing
Leading Controlling

Management and Supervisory Tasks and Responsibilities
Planning Organizing Leading Controlling

• Plan ahead / • Assign and distribute • Lead / Make • Monitor and control
Strategic thinking work Decisions performance
• Establish objectives • Handle • Train and develop • Review and evaluate
administrative duties employees performance

Management and Supervision – Key Competencies
Professionalism
Strategic
Building Self- Planning and and Multi-
Adaptability Thinking and
Relationships Management Administration Cultural
Action
Awareness

Task Management and Planning
Getting tasks done requires

planning around:
Collecting Processing
Organizing Reviewing
ideas the stuff

Task Management and Planning
Getting tasks done also requires

planning around the To-Do list
because it helps in:
Organizing Setting Coordinating Tracking

your life priorities similar tasks progress

Skills Needed to Lead and Manage Tasks

Essential skills to manage tasks

can be classified into:
Basic Skills Soft Skills

Basic skills involve:
Decision Problem Time

making solving management

Soft skills involve:
Conflict
Communication Leadership Team building
management

Dealing with Task Constraints

Let’s Discuss
How can we reduce task

constraints in the
workplace?

Some of the key steps to improve task clarity

and reduce task constraints involve:
• Induction
• Training
• Personal work plans
• Seeking employee opinions
• Performance feedback
• Removing communications barriers

Some of the key steps to improve task clarity

and reduce task constraints involve:
• Constantly updating job accountabilities
• Clear reporting lines and accountabilities
• Clear organizational charts
• Ensure understanding in case of structural changes
• Don’t assume; check, train, empower
• Embrace change

Goals, Objectives and Tasks

Famous Quote
“The trouble with not having a goal is

that you can spend your life running up
and down the field and never score.” –
Bill Copeland – Cricket Umpire
“Setting goals is the first step in turning

the invisible into the visible.” – Tony
Robbins – Motivational Speaker /
Author

Let’s Discuss
What are goals?
What are objectives?

What are goals?

• Goals are outcome
statements that define
what an organization is
trying to accomplish.

What are objectives?

• Objectives are very
precise, time-based,
measurable actions that
support the completion
of a goal.

To make objectives clear we need to

make them SMART:
Specific Measureable Agreed Realistic Time bound
States Includes a Between you Can be With a clear
exactly that quality or and your challenging end date or
you need to quantity reviewer or but must be timescale
achieve measure employee achievable

Integrating scope, work structure and management plan in task assignments

Let’s Discuss
What is a scope of work?
What is a work structure?
What is a project plan?

Integrating a Scope, Work Structure and Project Plan in Assignments
What is a scope of work?

• The Scope of Work (SOW) is
the area in an agreement
where the work to be
performed is described.

What is a work structure?

• A work structure or work
breakdown structure is a key
project deliverable that
organizes the team's work into
manageable sections.

A sample
work
breakdown
structure

What is a project plan?

• A project plan is a formal
document designed to guide
the control and execution of
a project or an assignment.

A project plan answers the following

basic questions regarding the project:
Why? What? Who? When?
e.g. Why are we e.g. What are the e.g. Who is e.g. When is the
doing this project? activities required to responsible for the project expected to
successfully complete project? be delivered?
the project?
What are the
deliverables?

Sample
project
plan

Another Project Plan + Dashboard

Managing Tasks and Stakeholders

Let’s Discuss
When it comes to tasks, who

are the stakeholders?

Everyone, including managers and supervisors, deal with many

stakeholders with variable influence on the success of a task, activity
or initiative. Stakeholders can be:
Your Boss Shareholders Government
Senior Executives Alliance Partners Trades Associations
Your Co-Workers Suppliers The Press
Your Team Lenders Interest Groups
Customers Analysts The Public
Prospective Customers Future Recruits The Community
Your Family

Analyzing stakeholders is vital,

but how can we do it?
• Stakeholder analysis is actually a process
that classifies individuals or groups
associated with tasks, activities,
initiatives, etc. through the powers and
interests they exert or get influenced by.

Three key steps in a

stakeholders analysis:
Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:
Identify your Prioritize Understand
stakeholders your your key
stakeholders stakeholders

Identifying and Managing Stakeholders
Step 1: Identify your stakeholders

• You need to think of the
people who are affected
by what you are trying to
do, and have influence or
power over it.

Step 2: Prioritize your stakeholders

• Is important to map them out and
classify stakeholders based on their
power over your tasks work and by
their interest in your work.

Step 3: Understand key stakeholders

• This step requires analyzing and
documenting relevant information
regarding stakeholders’ interest,
involvement and potential impact
on task, activity or project at hand.

Communicating with stakeholders is very critical.

Planning this stage should include the following
steps:
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
Plan your Think through Define the Define the
approach to what you want message you actions and
stakeholders from each need to get communications
management: stakeholder across needed

It is always worthwhile to think through the roles

stakeholders play. RACI is a very good model for that:
RACI stands for: R = The RACI Matrix brings

Responsible, A = Accountable, structure and clarity to
C = Consulted, I = Informed assigning roles people play.
Tasks, Functions A Function B Function C Function D

milestones, and (e.g. Line (e.g. Manager)
decisions Supervisor)
Task 1 R A
Task 2 R I A R
Task 3 C A R
Task 4 A C C I

Module III
Setting Task Priorities & Deadlines
M03: Setting Task Priorities & Deadlines 1

Harvey Mackey - American Writer
“ Time is free, but it is Priceless. You

can’t own it, but you can use it.
You can’t keep it, but you can
spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you
can never get it back”.

Time is a Paradox
We never seem to have

enough of it, and yet we
have all the time there is!

From Steve Jobs
“My favorite thing in life does not cost

any money. It's really clear that the most
precious resource we all have is time.”
•Steve Jobs:
•Was an American technology
entrepreneur, visionary and
inventor. He was the co-founder,
chairman, and chief executive
officer of Apple Inc.

Definition
• The effective and efficient use of techniques

and tools to fully maximize professional and
personal time in the accomplishment of
established goals.

First step in setting your
priorities is to:
Identify Your Time

Wasters

Time wasters you create:
No planning Failure to listen

Socializing Over control
Pre-occupation Fear of offending
Lack of delegation
Unrealistic time estimates
Attempting too much
Unable to terminate visits
Interruptions
Failure to anticipate
Unable to say no
Goals not clearly defined
Lack of self-discipline
Poor prioritizing Slow reading
Procrastination Emotional upset
Mistakes (your own) Poor concentration..

Time wasters created by others:
Telephone Indecisiveness
Visitors Differing values
Meetings Lack of feedback
Delays
Unclear roles
Interruptions
Shifting priorities
Poor communication
Lack of policies
Unclear problems
Lack of authority
Mistakes (others’)
Ineffective help Understaffing
Reverse delegation Overstaffing..

Second step will be to eliminate
or reduce your time wasters
Create Your Personal Activity Logs

Activity Logs
Find Out How You Really Spend Your Time
• It is too easy to forget time spent reading junk mail,

talking to colleagues, making coffee, eating lunch, etc.
Monitor your Personal Peaks
Learn from Your Log..

Activity Log (Sample)
Name
Date
Did you
Time plan to
Activity Start Finish Notes
Spent do this
now?

Sample Activity Log
Time Est. Actual Activity % effectiveness / Solution
9 am 10’ 15’ Review 67%: Distracted by papers on desk.

day’s plan Solution: Clear desk before I start.
9:15 20’ 50’ Write letter 40%:Bogged down in perfectionism on how to word it.
Solution: Force myself to go on and write whole 1st draft at rapid pace and see if it
is good enough.
10:05 5’ 12’ Call Mr. 42%:Got off on tangent. Solution : Stick to phone call priority list.
Jones
10:17 15’ 30’ Coffee 50%:I rationalized that since I started my break at 10:17 instead of the official 10:15
break I deserved a few extra minutes that stretched with socializing. Solution : Use more
discipline.
10:47 5’ 13’ Call Wilson 39%:Same phone troubles as above. Solution : Stick to phone call priority list
11:00 30’ 45’ Sales 67%: Delay in starting meeting by 5 mins. Many of us were too wordy. Solution :
meeting Clarify starting time and how much time we each have to speak.
11:45 5’ 15’ Call 33%: Service rep. not in - Called friend Jerry to see about tickets to concert. Talked
CopyLand about everything. Solution : Stick to priorities.
12:00 60’ 90’ Lunch 67%: Slow service - missed 1 pm appointment. Solution : Change restaurants or
allow more time.
4:45 15’ 25’ Planning for 60%: Morgan dropped by to set golf plans - too many phone interruptions. Solution
tomorrow : Block interruptions
Time Wasters Log
Time Wasters Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu.
Telephone interruptions
E-mail interruptions
Daydreaming or trying to get yourself going
Doing things that others should do
Indecision
Working without a plan
Doing something you should have refused or delegated
Procrastination
Clarifying unclear communication
Searching for items
Unscheduled visitors
Idle chatter
Fixing the problems of others
Trying to do too many things at once
Unproductive meetings
Confusion about what should be done and when
Breaks that are too frequent or too long
Total Time Wasted:

What are the Skills Involved in Eliminating Time Wasters?
Communication
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Time (self)
Management
Conflict Management
Questioning
Listening.

Effective Management of Meetings, e-Mails, Interruptions

Meetings and Tasks
Always clarify specific Consider alternatives to

Explore scheduling tools.
purpose of meetings. meetings.
For meetings, make an Invite people who need to Set time for each agenda
agenda and stick with it. attend. item.

E-Mails and Tasks
Don't over communicate Make good use of subject Keep messages clear and
by e-mail. lines. brief.
Be polite. Check your tone. Proofread.

Interruptions and Tasks
Interruptions are part of Record interruptions. Allow enough time for

your job. Accept them. Look for patterns. interruptions.
Stand up when someone

Bunch similar things
comes in. it gives you
Keep interruptions short. together and handle in on
more control an
go.
interruption.

Goals
• In writing
• 2 approaches
– Results-focused • Specific
– Activity-focused • Measurable
• Achievable
• Link goals together • Realistic
• Timed
• Prioritize
• Prioritized
• Compatible
• Develop the results habit

Goals – Example
Activity-focused Result-focused
• Visit 4 clients per month • Increase database by 8%
• Conduct 12 team meetings • Reduce team conflict to zero
during this year • Increase sales by 7%
• Attend 3 sales training • Lose 5 kg by end of the year
programs
• Exercise five time a week

Start Planning

The Yearly Planner
Start with a yearly Plug your work dates

planner
• Planning meetings
Plug your personal dates • Performance reviews
• Business trips
• Vacation • Etc.
• School meetings
• Car registration
Update as you go along
• Passport & residence
renewal
• Etc.
From Yearly to Monthly to Weekly to Daily Planner
Every date on a calendar must

translate to tasks:
• Tasks to do before the ‘date’

• Tasks to do after the ‘date’
These tasks MUST be registered on

a daily planner
• Result: A well-planned To-Do-List!

Tips for an Effective To Do List
Must be done everyday
Must be realistic
Don’t over schedule
Allow a time cushion
Review every morning (or evening)
Add items as you do them
Before writing something, ask yourself: “why me?” –

Delegate!
Inch towards your goals

To Do List – Sample
Today’s Goals
A:
B:
C:
Action Items
To Do
P/O Priority
7:00
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
Phone Calls 13:00
@ To Re: 14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
20:00

Prioritize Effectively
What should we Start with First?

The Priorities Matrix
I II
Important, Not Urgent Important, Urgent
IMPORTANT
Prevention, relationship building, Crises

recognizing new opportunities, Pressing Problems
planning, recreation Deadline-driven projects
III IV
Not Important, Not Urgent Not Important, Urgent
Trivia, busy work, some mail, some Interruptions, some calls, some mail,
phone calls, time wasters, pleasant some reports, some meetings,
activities proximate, pressing matters, popular
activities

The Priorities Matrix
I II
Important, Not Urgent Important, Urgent
IMPORTANT
Vision, perspective, balance, Stress, burnout, crisis management,

discipline, control, few crises fire-fighting, cholesterol, heart attack!
15%  65% 27%  20%
III IV
Not Important, Not Urgent Not Important, Urgent
Total irresponsibility, termination, Short term focus, crisis management,

career freeze, dependency chameleon, victimized, out of control,
2.5%  < 1% shallow relationships
55%  15%

Stress Management
What do we do to deal with stress?

Disease of the 21st Century
There is not a disease or illness in the modern world that is

not, in one way or another, affected, intensified or triggered
by STRESS.
Every illness known to man typically begins with a slow down

in immunity .
The illness then continues at various rates until it is out of

control or handled & eliminated by our natural defense
system.
One of the significant contributing factors is physical or

emotional STRESS.

What is Stress?
Stress is the reaction

people have to
excessive pressures or
other types of
demand placed upon
them. It arises when
they worry that they
can not cope.

Stress is:
Natural
A response to change
An adjustment to environment
Very individual
Can be physical & mental
Perceived as positive or negative

Stress - Negative or Positive?
Depends on how we react
Negative
• Feelings of distrust, rejection, anger & depression
• Health problems such as headaches, upset
• stomach, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure,
• heart disease & stroke
Positive
• Can motivate us to action;
• Can result in a new awareness & new perspectives.

Recognizing Stress
The following are indicators that you may be

encountering stress :
• General irritability.
• Elevated heart rate.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Anxiety-anxious feeling for no specific reason.
• Insomnia.
• Headaches.
• Indigestion.
• Pain in neck and / or lower back.
• Changes in appetite or sleep pattern.

Sources of Stress
There are several major sources :
- Survival…
- Internally generated stress…
- Job stress…
- Nutrition…
- Lifestyle…
- In addition:

Sources of Stress
Dangerous events
• Strong stressors that occur
• suddenly and typically affect
• many people simultaneously
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Phenomena where victims
• of major catastrophes re-
• experience the original
• event.

Source of Stress
Personal stressors (traumatic life events)

• Major life events that produce an
immediate major reactions.
• Negative events
Background stressors (daily problems )

• Minor irritations of life that we all face
Uplifts
• Minor positive events that make one feel

good
Work-related Causes of Stress
Occupational demands
Conflict between work & non-work activities
Role conflict
Role overload
Role ambiguity
Responsibility for others
Lack of social support
Harassment
Etc..
How to Deal with Stress ?
If your living & working environments are badly

organized, then they can be a major source of stress.
Individually, the points listed below may contribute only

in a small way.
Taken together, they can have a significant effect in

reducing stress.

How to Deal with Stress ?
Time
Management
Individual
Relaxation Physical
Stress
Training Exercise
Management
Healthy
Diet

Relaxation Techniques
Deep breathing…
Progressive muscle relaxation :

• Tense one muscle at a time
• Release the tension
• Continue through all muscle groups
Visual Imagery
Meditation / Yoga
Sleep
Massage…

Relaxation
Benefits of
relaxation:
• Lower blood
pressure.
• Combats fatigue.
• Promotes sleep.
• Reduces pain.
• Eases muscle tension.

An Advice
• Realize that what is stressful for one person may not be

stressful for another.
• When staff have negative attitudes toward their jobs & the
organization and frequently seem on edge or in a bad mood, try
to find out whether they are experiencing excessively high
levels of stress by asking about their concerns.
• When managing staff who help others as part of their job, be

on the lookout for the signs of burnout.

An Advice
• When staff are experiencing too much stress and it is having

negative consequences, discuss with them about ways of
coping with stress.
• Let your subordinates know that you care about their well-
being and are willing to help them with problems.
• When staff seem to be having a lot of interpersonal problems

with other members or with customers or clients, determine
whether they are experiencing too high a level of stress.

Module IV
Delegation
M04: Delegation 1
What is Delegation?
The word “Delegate" comes

from the Latin word “Deligo“,
meaning : “I let go".
M04: Delegation 2
Delegation
“… Is the distribution of
responsibility and authority to
others while holding them
accountable for their
performance”
M04: Delegation 3
Why to Delegate?
To develop new
To use skills and
leaders and build
resources already To get things done
new skills within
within the group
the group
M04: Delegation 4
Why to Delegate?
To prevent the Group members

To become more To allow everyone
group from getting feel more
powerful as a to be a part of the
too dependent on committed if they
group effort
one or two leaders have a role and
feel needed
M04: Delegation 5
Root Causes of Poor Delegation
Needs to be done now, and I can do it quicker and better
Do not know how or what to delegate
Not organized, no time available to provide necessary

instructions
Fear of competition from employees – job security
Afraid will lose credit & recognition
M04: Delegation 6
Root Causes of Poor Delegation
Fear of loss of control and authority (power)
Boss has a high interest in task
Confidential task
No one to delegate to
Fear that employee will not be able to handle the job
M04: Delegation 7
Learning the Steps to Effective Delegation
I - Introduce the task
D - Demonstrate clearly what needs to be done
E - Ensure understanding
A - Allocate authority, information & resources
L - Let go
S - Support & monitor
M04: Delegation 8
Introduce the Task
Determine task to be delegated
Determine tasks to retain
Select delegate
M04: Delegation 9
Determine Task to be Delegated
Those tasks you completed prior to assuming

new role
Those tasks your delegates have more

experience with
Routine activities
M04: Delegation 10
Determine Tasks to Retain
Supervision of subordinates
Planning
Tasks only you can do
Assurance of program compliance
M04: Delegation 11
Select Delegate
Look at individual strengths/weaknesses
Determine interest areas
Determine need for development of delegate
M04: Delegation 12
Demonstrate Clearly
Show examples of
previous work
Explain objectives
Discuss timetable,
set deadlines
M04: Delegation 13
Ensuring Understanding
Clear communication
Ask for clarification
Secure commitment
Collaboratively, determine methods for follow-up
M04: Delegation 14
Allocate Authority, Information, Resources
Provide access to all information sources
Refer delegate to contact persons or specific resources
Provide appropriate training to ensure success
M04: Delegation 15
Let go…
Communicate delegate’s authority
Step back, let them work
Don’t allow for reverse delegation
M04: Delegation 16
Support and Monitor
Schedule follow-up meetings
Review progress
Assist, when requested
Avoid interference
Publicly praise progress
M04: Delegation 17
What not to Delegate
Personal
Motivation
Training
Team building
Organization
Praising / reprimanding
performance reviews & promotions.

M04: Delegation 18

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Priorities and Deadlines

Meirc Training & Consulting

About the Company

80’s and 90’s: USA – Texas and California

2000-2007: Back to Lebanon

2007-Present: Dubai UAE, Meirc Training & Consulting

Currently: Partner with Meirc Training & Consulting

Alex-Ameer F. Ayoub: A Brief Bio!

Explain the link

Set task priorities and Conduct and perform

Introduction to the ‘task’ concept Task management and

Setting Task Priorities &

WHAT WHY WHEN WHERE WHO HOW

Free online blended learning

Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 1

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 2

What is self-management when we talk

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 3

Self-management is the “process" of influencing

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 4

In the following slides

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 5

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 6

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 7

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 8

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 9

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 10

What is the role of

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 11

Values are internal

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 12

Not all values have the

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 13

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 14

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 15

A task is the smallest

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 16

What is task management?

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 17

Task management is the

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 18

Task Management Principles

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 19

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 20

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 21

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 22

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 23

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 24

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 25

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 26

Why embrace task management principles?

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 27

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 28

Are the number of

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 29

The greatest ideas and the

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 30

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 31

What working conditions are

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 32

M01: Introduction to Tasks in a Business Environment 33